The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

12 THE NATIONAL MIRROR Metro Announces Additional Pictures Supplementary Production Schedule Released With the acquisition of new stars to its roster; important cast additions to its new season pictures and the purchase of valuable play and story properties, Metro released to the trade this week a supplementary announcement of productions from which its 199-1940 program will be drawn. There will be 44 to 52 features during the new season. Eddie Cantor will make his Metro debut in "Banjo Eyes,” comedy-drama with music. Fred Astaire, also newly signed, will co-star with Eleanor Powell in "Broadway Melody of 1940.” Edward G. Robinson will have the leading role in "Blackmail.” James Stewart has been elevated to stardom. Norma Shearer will be starred in "Pride and Prejudice,” play by Helen Jerome from the novel by Jane Austen. Miss Shearer’s first production of the new season will be "The Women,” in which she is starred with Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell, and which is now before the cameras at the Culver City studios. Jeanette MacDonald will star in a musical version of "Smilin’ Thru,” romance by Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin, which Robert Z. Leonard will direct. Miss MacDonald also will appear co-starred with Nelson Eddy in "Silent Knight,” based on the play by Eugene Heltai. Singing stars in addition will be seen together in “Lover Come Back To Me.” Nelson Eddy will also be seen in "Balalaika” with Ilona Massey. "Park Avenue Model,” has been added to Joan Crawford’s starring schedule, which already includes "House of Glass,” "A Lady Comes to Town,” in addition to "The Women.” "American Newlyweds” will introduce a new family series, dealing with a typical young married American couple. Robert Montgomery will go to England to star in two pictures: "Earl of Chicago,” an original story by Brock Williams, and "Busman’s Holiday,” based on a novel by Dorothy Sayres. These will be produced at the Denham Studios on the same large scale as "A Yank at Oxford,” "The Citadel” and the recently completed "Goodbye, Mr. Chips.” Greer Carson, who appears opposite Robert Donat in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” will be starred in "Susan and God,” the play by Rachel Crothers. Donat will have the leading role in "Ruined City,” based on the novel "Kindling” by Nevil Shute. Spencer Tracy will be starred in “Witch in the Wilderness,” to be directed by King Vidor from the novel by Desmond Holdridge. Grand National Changes Several additions to the Grand National sales force were announced last week by Sol Edwards. New appointments of branch managers include: Marcel Mekelberg to Boston, Bert Freese to Buffalo, Herbert Given to Philadelphia, Joe Kaliski to Washington. Paul Richrath, formerly in the Grand National home office sales contract department, is now manager of the Albany branch. Ralph Peckham returns from Buffalo to take charge at Detroit. 30 Features, 16 Westerns on Monogram '39’40 List Company Optimistic at Chicago Meeting With the announcement that Monogram’s 193 9-40 program would be boxoffice-insured by a substantially increased production budget and an impressive list of stars and story properties, W. Ray Johnston, president, last week revealed that the new program would contain 30 features and 16 westerns. In addition, he said, eight reissues starring John Wayne are available. New program represents an increase of four features over previous year’s lineup and maintains same number of westerns. The 30 features are divided into three groups. The first has been named W. Ray Johnston Anniversary Specials, commemorating the chief executive’s 2 5 th year in the industry. Two remaining groups of 12 each are listed as Box-Office Attractions and Showman’s Success Series. ! Among the more ambitious productions listed for the new season are: "Rip Van Winkle,” "Queen of the Yukon,” by Jack London; "Son of the Navy,” by Grover Jones and True Boardman; "His Father’s Son,” by Matt Taylor; "Oliver Twist,” a screen version of the Charles Dickens classic; and "Under Northern Lights, by Charles Wakefield Cadman. "Freckles Comes Home,” in a story by Jeannette Stratton-Porter, will be made on a large budget. Boris Korloff is to be seen in four features devoted to the doings of Mr. Wong. Titles are: "Mr. Wong Vanishes,” "Mr. Wong in Havana,” "Mr. Wong’s Chinatown Squad,” "Mr. Wong in New York.” John Trent, who created the role of Tailspin Tommy, continues in that part in four features. The four are: "Aces of the Air,” "Transcontinental Plane,” "Danger Flight,” and "Sky Patrol.” Marcia Mae Jones, Jackie Moran, Frankie Darro and other cast names are on the program. Marcia Mae Jones and Jackie Moran are to appper in four films entitled: "Tomboy,” "Hoosier Schooldays,” "Haunted House,” "Kid Reporters.’ Frankie Darro, in company with carefully selected players, is to be seen in four features. They are "Arm ofthe Law,” "East Side Kid,” "That Gang of Mine,” "Boys of the City.” Tex Ritter will play in eight westerns as will Jack Randall. Two of the action dramas in which Randall will appear are based on the tales of James Fenimore Cooper. The last-mentioned two are "The Prairie” and "The Pioneers.” A 50 per cent increase in the product budget for the 18 features in the top bracket and a 25 percent increase in stud.o allotments was announced. The company is planning a series of productions for the Latin-American market. The sales quota for 1959-1940 has been set at $8,850,000. Among the prominent exhibitors present were John Balaban, Jack Kirsch, Morris Leonard. Furman’s Passing Mourned Death of Ira Furman, veteran Metro exchangeman, in San Francisco last week was mourned by the trade. He was buried in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania. Reisman Gives Report on the Foreign Market Says RKO-Rcdio Business Hopped Up Despite chaotic conditions encountered abroad RKO Radio Pictures’ foreign business has increased 40 percent this season over last year, Phil Reisman, general manager, RKO’s foreign department, said last week on his return from an extended tour of England and the Continent. Reisman said the foreign territory would exceed quota in the current George Schaefer Drive which is concluding June 18. Discussing the market in foreign countries for RKO product, Reisman said the company had been operating throughout the war in Spain and that Reginald Armour, European general manager, was now on his way there to investigate present currency restrictions and general conditions. The increase in business in China was due somewhat, he said, to the concentration of troops in large cities. RKO is still operating in Czechoslovakia, business is exceptionally good in the Scandinavian countries and in South America, while the company has no representatives in Italy or Germany. He was very optimistic concerning the future in foreign lands. Loew’s Shows $10,516,538 Loew’s Inc. last week made public its comparative earnings statement for the 28 weeks ended March 16, 1939, showing $10,516,538 as the company’s share of operating profit of subsidiaries, after reduction of preferred dividends of subsidiaries, as against $10,207,339 for the 2 8 weeks ended March 17, 193 8. After depreciation and taxes, but before reserves for contingencies, income of Loew’s, Inc., amounted to $7,268,847, compared with $6,887,678 for the comparable period in 138. The directors of the company recently approved setting up a reserve for contingencies amounting to $900,000 for the most recent 28 week period, an increase of $5 00,000 over the sum set aside for such reserves in the same 2 8 week period a year ago. After this enlarged reserve, the company’s share in net profit of subsidiaries for the 28 weeks ended March 16, 1939, amounted to $6,368,847, equivalent to $3.68 per share on the average number of shares of common stock outstanding in the hands of the public during the period. This compares with $6,487,678 and net earnings of $3.76 per common share during the same period of 193 8, when the reserve for contingencies was $400,000, or less than half the amount set aside for that purpose in the most recent period. M ay 10, 19)9